To evolve Inkay in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, get it to level 30 or higher, play in handheld mode with the Joy-Con attached, turn the console upside down, then open your team menu, select Inkay and choose Evolve. Z-A shows no evolution arrow on Inkay’s portrait, which can make it look like the method isn’t working. It is: the Evolve option only appears while the console is flipped.
Quick answer (checked November 1, 2026, 11:30 UTC):
- Level: Inkay must be level 30 or above and in your party.
- Flip: hold your Switch or Switch 2 upside down while you open Inkay in the team menu (X), then pick Evolve.
- Mode: handheld mode with the Joy-Con attached. It won’t work docked, and guides warn that a connected Pro Controller or Bluetooth controller stops it.
- No arrow: unlike other ready-to-evolve Pokémon, Inkay gets no glowing arrow. Select it anyway while the console is upside down.
- Where to find Inkay: Wild Zone 11 (opens at the start of Main Mission 15) and The Sewers. Wild Malamar only appears in Wild Zone 20 (Main Mission 39).
Evolving Inkay needs handheld mode with the Joy-Con attached; docked play can't detect the flip. AI-generated illustration
Table of Contents
How to evolve Inkay in Pokémon Legends Z-A, step by step
Evolution in Z-A doesn’t happen automatically. As in Legends: Arceus, you trigger it yourself from the team menu once a Pokémon meets its condition, Dexerto explains. Inkay’s condition is a level plus a physical flip of the console. The steps below are the ones that the guides from launch week agree on (GamesRadar+, Shacknews, Siliconera and Insider Gaming, all published October 15-17, 2025).
- Raise Inkay to level 30. Any level from 30 up works. Put it in your party of six.
- Switch to handheld mode. If you play on a TV, take the console out of the dock and attach both Joy-Con. Disconnect any Pro Controller or other wireless controller.
- Open the main menu. Press X to see your team.
- Turn the console upside down and keep holding it that way.
- Select Inkay. “Evolve” appears above “Check Summary”, even though there’s no arrow on the portrait.
- Choose Evolve. Inkay becomes Malamar straight away.
One difference from older games: you don’t have to level Inkay up while the console is upside down. GamesRadar+ points out that the flip only needs to happen when you open Inkay in the menu. So an Inkay that passed level 30 earlier can still evolve later.
Why the Evolve option doesn’t show up (and how to fix it)
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No arrow on Inkay’s portrait | Normal for Inkay in Z-A | Ignore the missing arrow and select Inkay while the console is flipped |
| Evolve missing while flipped | Inkay is below level 30 | Check the summary; level it to 30 or higher |
| Evolve missing at level 30+ | Console is docked (TV mode) | Undock and play handheld; Dexerto says docked play can’t detect the flip |
| Still nothing in handheld | A Pro Controller or Bluetooth pad is connected | Disconnect it and use the attached Joy-Con (Serebii and Shacknews both flag this) |
| Option disappears | You turned the console back too early | Keep it upside down until you’ve picked Evolve |
Where to find Inkay in Pokémon Legends Z-A
Inkay is number 159 in the Lumiose Pokédex and Malamar is number 160. According to Serebii’s Inkay page and its Wild Zone list, you can catch Inkay in these places:
| Location | What spawns | When it opens |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Zone 11 | Inkay (alongside Slowpoke, Slowbro, Gyarados, Stunfisk, Furfrou, Clauncher and Clawitzer) | Start of Main Mission 15 |
| The Sewers: Main Access and Canal Access | Inkay | Around the middle of the story (Siliconera) |
| Wild Zone 20 | Malamar (no need to evolve one) | Start of Main Mission 39 |
| Hyperspace Lumiose (Mega Dimension DLC) | Inkay in Psychic 1-star and Psychic/Dark 4-star areas; Malamar in Psychic and Dark 4-star areas | Requires the paid DLC |
Siliconera puts Inkay’s first appearance around the midpoint of the campaign. If you want Malamar before Wild Zone 20 opens, evolving an Inkay is the only way.
Inkay spawns in Wild Zone 11 and The Sewers (Main and Canal Access), per Serebii. AI-generated illustration
Inkay and Malamar in Legends Z-A: types, stats and moves
Both are Dark/Psychic. That makes them immune to Psychic moves, 4x weak to Bug and 2x weak to Fairy. These base stats come from Serebii:
| Pokémon | HP | Atk | Def | Sp. Atk | Sp. Def | Speed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inkay | 53 | 54 | 53 | 37 | 46 | 45 | 288 |
| Malamar | 86 | 92 | 88 | 68 | 75 | 73 | 482 |
| Mega Malamar | 86 | 102 | 88 | 98 | 120 | 88 | 582 |
According to Serebii’s Z-A move data, Inkay and Malamar share the same level-up list. Malamar also gets Octolock, which Inkay’s list doesn’t have. Since nothing is lost by evolving, there’s no move-based reason to keep Inkay unevolved. Each move becomes a Plus Move three levels after Malamar learns it. Serebii explains that Plus Moves are Z-A’s mastered versions of moves, and attacking Plus Moves hit about 25% harder.
| Move | Type | Category | Power | Learned at | Plus Move at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knock Off | Dark | Physical | 65 | 14 | 17 |
| Psybeam | Psychic | Special | 65 | 15 | 18 |
| Night Slash | Dark | Physical | 70 | 24 | 27 |
| Psycho Cut | Psychic | Physical | 70 | 33 | 36 |
| Psyshock | Psychic | Special | 80 | 37 | 40 |
| Topsy-Turvy | Dark | Status | – | 42 | 45 |
| Close Combat | Fighting | Physical | 120 | 54 | 57 |
The Z-A Pokédex describes Malamar this way: “It wields the most compelling hypnotic powers of any Pokémon, and it forces others to do whatever it wants.” (in-game entry, as recorded by Serebii).
How to get Mega Malamar (Malamarite)
Mega Malamar is new in Legends: Z-A. It was revealed on September 10, 2025, and the official game site describes it as a Dark- and Psychic-type with an “enlarged brain and enhanced psychic power”, Nintendo Life reported. To use it, your Malamar needs to hold the Malamarite:
- Where: the Mega Shard Exchange at Quasartico Inc. (Serebii’s Mega Stone list).
- Cost: 240 Mega Shards, according to Pokémon GO Hub, Nintendo Soup and Siliconera.
- When: not right away. Siliconera says the exchange only offers it after the story has shown you Mega Malamar, and Nintendo Soup lists it after Main Mission 37.
Per Serebii’s stats, Mega Evolution adds 100 base stat points: Sp. Def +45, Sp. Atk +30, Speed +15 and Attack +10. HP and Defense stay the same. Serebii also notes that all of a Mega Evolved Pokémon’s moves become Plus Moves.
Malamarite for Mega Malamar costs 240 Mega Shards at Quasartico Inc.'s exchange. AI-generated illustration
Inkay evolution in other Pokémon games
If you landed here from a different game, here’s how the method compares.
| Game | How Inkay evolves |
|---|---|
| Pokémon Legends: Z-A | Level 30+, then pick Evolve from the team menu while the console is upside down (handheld) |
| Scarlet/Violet, Sword/Shield | Level up at 30+ while the Switch is held upside down; Serebii says any Pro Controller must be disconnected |
| Pokémon GO | 50 Inkay Candy, with the phone held upside down when you tap Evolve (Serebii, Pocket Tactics) |
Our Pokémon Legends Z-A Mystery Gift codes guide lists the free gifts you can still claim, including the Spewpa that counts toward the Vivillon Challenge. For Pokémon GO, see our Pokémon GO November 2026 events schedule. Competitive players can see which Pokémon are winning in our Pokémon Champions tier list. And if you’re on Switch 2, here are all the Switch 2 games coming out in November 2026.
FAQ
When does Inkay evolve in Legends Z-A?
From level 30. It won’t evolve on its own at 30: you have to flip the console and choose Evolve in the team menu.
Can you evolve Inkay in docked mode?
No. Guides agree you need handheld mode with the Joy-Con attached, because the game reads the console’s orientation. Undock it for the few seconds the evolution takes, then dock it again.
Why is there no evolve arrow on my Inkay?
Z-A doesn’t show the arrow for Inkay. The Evolve option is hidden until the console is upside down, so open Inkay’s menu while you hold it flipped.
Can you catch Malamar instead of evolving Inkay?
Yes, in Wild Zone 20, which opens at the start of Main Mission 39 (Serebii). Before that, evolving Inkay is the only way to get one.
Does it work on Nintendo Switch 2?
Yes. GamesRadar+, Shacknews and Siliconera all say the method works on Switch and Switch 2 in handheld mode.
Sources: Serebii (Inkay), Serebii (Malamar), Serebii (Wild Zones), Serebii (Mega Stones), GamesRadar+, Shacknews, Siliconera, Insider Gaming, Dexerto, Pokémon GO Hub, Nintendo Soup, Nintendo Life, Pocket Tactics.
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Featured image: AI-generated illustration
